Beginning Television Writing

WILLIAM RABKIN

Beginning Television Writing

WILLIAM RABKIN

$229.99


01/02/2025 - 01/30/2025

Enroll Now

In this four-week course, an established executive producer/showrunner will give you an inside look at the world of dramatic, episodic television. You will explore—and practice—the actual process involved in successfully writing a spec episodic script that will open doors across Hollywood.

When you enroll in this course, you will learn how to analyze a TV show and develop “franchise”-friendly story ideas for a one-hour drama. Then you’ll build upon those skills to develop and write a story under the direction of the course’s instructor, who will be acting as showrunner. After incorporating his notes, you will be sent off to write your outline—or beat sheet—which is a breakdown of entire episode, beat by beat. You’ll receive feedback from your instructor and incorporate the suggestions into your outline leaving you at the end of the course ready to write an episodic script for a drama…the first step in getting a job on a TV series!

Please note that this class focuses on dramatic writing and is not suitable for writers wishing to focus on sitcoms.

$229.99


01/02/2025 - 01/30/2025

Enroll Now

In this four-week course, an established executive producer/showrunner will give you an inside look at the world of dramatic, episodic television. You will explore—and practice—the actual process involved in successfully writing a spec episodic script that will open doors across Hollywood.

When you enroll in this course, you will learn how to analyze a TV show and develop “franchise”-friendly story ideas for a one-hour drama. Then you’ll build upon those skills to develop and write a story under the direction of the course’s instructor, who will be acting as showrunner. After incorporating his notes, you will be sent off to write your outline—or beat sheet—which is a breakdown of entire episode, beat by beat. You’ll receive feedback from your instructor and incorporate the suggestions into your outline leaving you at the end of the course ready to write an episodic script for a drama…the first step in getting a job on a TV series!

Please note that this class focuses on dramatic writing and is not suitable for writers wishing to focus on sitcoms.

Course outline

Course outline

Each session includes a written lecture, creative exercises to further your learning, and a writing assignment to turn in for personalized feedback from your instructor.


Meet the instructor

William Rabkin

William Rabkin, author of WRITING THE PILOT and co-author of best-selling book SUCCESSFUL TELEVISION WRITING, is a veteran showrunner whose executive producing credits include “Missing,” “Diagnosis Murder,” and “Martial Law.” He has most recently written for A&E’s new hit show The Glades. His writing and/or producing credits also include “Monk,” “Psych,” “SeaQuest,” “Spenser: For Hire,” “Hunter,” “Baywatch,” “Sliders,” “The Cosby Mysteries,” and “Nero Wolfe,” to name a few. In addition, Rabkin has directed episodes of “Diagnosis Murder” and several short films. He has led writing seminars in Madrid and Stockholm, consulted for broadcasters in Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands, and served as an adjunct professor of screenwriting at Stephens College. He is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of creative writing in the University of California, Riverside’s MFA Program, Palm Desert Graduate Center, and also teaches television writing at the UCLA Extension. He is the author of five original novels based on the characters from the show Psych and published by NAL: “A Mind Is A Terrible Thing to Read,” “Mind Over Magic,” “The Call of the Mild,” “A Fatal Frame of Mind,” and “Mind-Altering Murder.” He is also the co-creator and co-editor of The Dead Man, a monthly series of action horror novels publlished by Amazon’s 47North imprint.